Worth County is named for William Jenkins Worth, who was a soldier in the Florida War and a general in the Mexican-American War.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Taylor County, Iowa and Ringgold County, Iowa
E – Harrison County
S – Gentry County
W – Nodaway County
Created: February 8, 1861
County Seat:
Smithdon ( Worthville ) 1861 – 1863
Grant City 1863 – present
County Courthouse – Grant City
Location: 11 West 4th Street / Main Street
Built: 1897 – 1899
Style: Romanesque Revival
Architect: Fremont C Orff and Ernest F Guilbert of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Contractor: Stansberry Press Brick Company
Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick, stone and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Grant City. The building has a raised basement. Built of hard red colored brick, the building has a large square tower with peaked roof at each corner with stone rim and measures 71 feet by 80 feet. The south front has a one story center projection with three arches and balcony on the second story. There are dormer windows at the roof line on the third story. In the center of the building is an octagonal white colored cupola with white colored dome with conical roof. In the interior, wide corridors run from the three first story entrances. There are wood floors. The woodwork is oak and there is three foot high wainscoting along the walls. The staircase which has carved balustrades, is located on the east side and ascends to the County Circuit Court courtroom located along the west side of the second story. On the north side of the courtroom part of the old courtroom ceiling has been uncovered showing a ceiling mural. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 4th Judicial Circuit.
Note: The court awarded the building contract to Stansberry Press Brick Company for $19,360. Heating and plumbing contracts amounted to $1,929.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Worth County Courthouse
See: The 4th Judicial Circuit includes Atchison County, Gentry County, Holt County and Nodaway County.
History: The county was created in 1861 and Smithdon ( Worthville ) was selected as the county seat. In 1863 the county seat was moved to Grant City. The first courthouse was a two story structure built in 1864 at a cost of $600. The building was destroyed by fire in 1866. In 1866, the second courthouse was a two story structure built by John F Mason at a cost of $1000. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1897 to 1899 at a cost of $25,000.
County Courthouse – Grant City
County Circuit Court courtroom
Old courtroom ceiling which had been covered up
Photos taken 2009 and 2023
Images 17*